Adjustable vane hydraulic turbine



Sept. 13, 1932. H E; POPP 1,877,048

ADJUSTABLE VANE HYDRAULIC TURBINE original Filed July 5, 1928 2sheets-sheer' 1 INVEN-ron l www MMM/ ATTonN EYS sept 13, 1,932 H. E.PoPP ADJUSTABLE VANE HYDRAULIC TURBINE original Filed July 5, 1928' 2sheets-sheen 2 ATTORNEYS.

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Patented Sept. '13; 1932 UNITED STATES HARRY E. rorr, or Yo'nx,PENNSYLVANIA ADJUSTABLE VANE HYDRAULIC TURBINE v Application led July 5,1928, Serial No. 290,433. Renewed January 1,3, 1932.

This invention relates to improvements in adjustable vane hydraulicturbines and particularly to electrically operated adjustment l means,the control for the same being'situv."3 ated wherever convenient.

One of the objects of the invention is the.

provision of simple and effective means for securing any deslredadjustment of the run- A ner vanes while the turbine is in motion. 10Another object-is the provision of vane adjusting means in V"whichelectrical energy .serves as the motive power. f

Another object is the rovision of adjusting means that is self loc ingin all positions,

that is to say, one which is not reversible by the action of the loadimposed upony the runner.

A further object is the provision of mechanism of the character stated,.embodying re- 930 duction gearing between the electric motorI and thevane adjusting elements, the gearing being carried by the shaft andbeing symmetrically arranged about the axis of the shaft 'so as toprevent any appreciable un- 25, balance during operation. V

Another object is the provision of adjustment control means, readilyadapted to remote manual control or to automatic con-' nected up formovement simultaneously with,

some other control mechanism, asA for instance, a wicket gate control.

Other objects and features of novelty will appear as I proceed with thedescription of that embodiment of the invention which, forl the purposesof the present application, I

have illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view partially in elevation and partially in' central,-vertical section showing a hydraulic turbine embodying my invention.

Fig.'2 is a vertical, central section of the upper portion of the runnershaft showing a portion of the vane adjusting mechanism, andillustrating diagrammatically remote control mechanism for thev electricmotor which drives the adjusting mechanism. i

Fig. 3 is a-horizontal sectional view, taken substantially on 'the line3-3, of Fig. l2.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line4.-4, Fig. 2.

In the drawings the cylindrical wall of la 60 pit is indicated at 10.The water as it leaves the runner is discharged through a draft tube 9.The generator to be driven by the hydraulic turbine is not shown in thedrawings, but the lower end of its shaft appears 35 in Fig. 1 at 11. Onthis lower end there is a flange 12which is bolted to a flange 13 on theupper end of the shaft 14 which constitutes the upper portion of theturbine shaft.

vUpper and lower speed rings are repre- 70 sented at 15, and 16, and arejoined by a series of fixed guide vanes 17 which not only direct. thecourse of the incoming water but .l

also act as-istructural members, tying the tworings 15 and 16 together.The crown 75 plate which directs the incoming water downwardly is shownat 18, being supported k at its periphery by a iiange on the ring 15.The lower end of shaft 14 merges into a cover 19 for a cylindricalhousing 20 to so which it is secured by screws 21 or the like. Thehousing 20 constitutes the upper end portion of the hollow shaft 22which, in effect, is a continuation of the shaft 14. The lower end ofshaft 22 is enlarged and has 85 suspended therefrom a hub 23 which ishollow and has an outer surface that is spherical throughout aconsiderable portion of its extent. Somewhat above its lower end theshaft 22 is journaled in bearing strips 24 90 mounted in a bearingsupport 25, the latter being carried in any convenient manner upon thecrown plate 18. Above the bearing strips 24; I mount a packing gland 8.

Within the hollow shaft 22 there is slid 95 ably mounted a rod 26 whichis threaded upon its upper end for a purpose which will hereinafterappear. A key 27 mounted 1n the shaft 22 is slidable with respect to agroove 28 in the rod 26, whereby the latter 100 is slidably butnon-rotatably connected with y the shaft. At its lower end thev rod 26carries four radial arms 29 having reduced ends upon which are pivotedthe upper extremities of four links 30 that are pivoted at their lowerends to four cranks 31 on the inner ends of trunnions 32 which aremounted in radial bearings in the hub 23. These trunnions are integralwith runner vanes 33, also four in number. It is not my intention,however, to limit the invention to a runner having four vanes, as agreater or even a lesser number might be employed, the number of cranksand links 31 and 30 respectively being modified accordingly.

The inner ends of the vanes from their discharge edges to a positionslightly in advance of the trunnions 32 are cut on a circle tocorrespond with the curvature of the spherical surface of the hub 23,just suicient clearance being allowed to prevent undue friction when thetrunnions 32 are turned.

At their outer ends the vanes 33 are curved in a circle which isconcentric with the curvature of the inner ends of the vanes 4and-zwhich corresponds to the curvature of a surrounding spherical surfacethat 1s formed partly upon the ring 16 and partly upon a ring 34 whichis removable in order to permit the removal of the vanes 33 upwardly.The usual clearance is maintained between the vanes33 and the adjacentsurfaces of the rings 16 and 34, and owing to the fact that thesesurfaces are spherical this clearance is maintained regardless of theadjusted positions of the vanes. i

At the upper end of the section 22 of the hollow shaft there is'a flange35 upon which is supported an annular casting 36, these two parts beingfastened together by screw 37 or the like. At its upper end casting 36is secured by screws 38 to an annular flange 39 on the lower extremityof the cylindrical housin 20. Hence the parts 20, 36 and 22 are rigidlyconnected and together form the hollow shaft of the turbine.

An electric motor 40 is rigidly mounted, as by screws 41, in thecylindrical housing 20, with its axis coincident with the axis of thecylinder. On the shaft of the motor 40 there is al, pinion 42 whichmeshes with a pair of planet gears 43, the latter gears running upon aninternal gear 44 cut into 4the wall of the casting 36. The gears 43 turnupon spindles 45 which have constricted end portions threaded into aring 46 that is keyed onto an elongated nut 47, the latter beingthreaded to receive the threaded vend of rod ,26. The nut 47 may have anintegral col- `lar 48 adapted to take thrust in either direction throughtwo thrust bearings 49 and Below its threadedupper end the rod 26carries a pair of axially aligned pins 51 which extend through verticalslots 52 in the shaft 22. Ontheir outer ends these pins carry a ring 53which slides vertically upon the shaft 22 whenever the rod 26 moves withrespect to the shaft. This ring 53 is proposition outside the turbine.Whilefor lthe v sake of simplicity I have illustrated herein a singlelink 58, it will be understood that in practice I may substitute anymechanical connection capable of transmitting slidin motion to the slide59 from the swing arm 57 of the bell crank lever. This mechanicalconnection in practice ma embody a number of parts, such as links andlevers, in order that the control mechanism of which the slide 59 is apart may be located at some distance from the turbine. In carrying outmy invention it is entirely feasible, for instance, to mount the controlmechanisms for a series of turbines upon a single control board.

Upon the control board or other suitable support I mount a pair ofbearing blocks 60 in which is journaled a shaft 61 which is adapted tobe rotated to bring about the adjustment of the runner vanes. Therotation of the shaft may be accomplished in various ways, but in theresent instance I have shown it rovided w1th a wheel 62 and a crank 63.he shaft 61 is threaded and has mounted thereon a nut 64 having apointed portion constituting an indicator 65 cooperating with a scale 66for indicating the degree of opening of the runner vanes, the scaleillustrated herein having ten divisions covering various ositions of thevanes from fully closed to fu ly opened position.

Ri idly attached to the nut 64 there is a bar 6 upon which are mountedtwo electrical contacts 68 and 69 insulated from each other and from therod. In the ends of the slide 59k there are slidably mounted two rods 70and 71v which are headed upon their outer ends to limit the inwardmovement of the rods.. On its inner end each of these rods 70 and 71carries a cross bar 72 and 73 respectively, against which bear coilsprings 74 and 75 respectively tending to hold the rods 7 01 and 71 inthe positions illustrated with respect/to the slide 59. The cross bar 72has mounted thereon and insulated therefrom a contact 76 positionedopposite the contact 68 and a contact 77 positioned opposite the contact69. The cross bar 73 carries a similar pair of contacts 78 and 79arranged opposite the contacts 68 and 69 res ct-ively.

herein a control mechanism in which all of the moving parts have arectilinear motion, it is obvious that they could as wellbe so mountedas to move in arcs of circles vabout a common center without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

The positive and negative wires of an electric service line areindicated at 80 and 81. From the 'wire 80 a conductor 82 leads to thecontact 68. The contact 69 is similarly connectedby a conductor 83 withthe negative wire 81 of the line. The conductors 82 and 83 lcontainflexible portions permitting the movement of the contacts 68 and 69.Contacts 76 and 79 are connected through flexible wires with a conductor84 leading to a brush 85. The contacts 77 and 78 are connected throughflexible wires with a conductor 86 leading Ito a brush 87. Brushes 85and 87 bear upon continuous contact rings' 88Aand 89 respectivelymounted upon a'n insulating collar 90 carrled upon the exterior ofthecylindrical housing 20. In the latter there is an opening 91 throughwhich the motor wires 92'and 93 extend, the motor being connected bythese wires with the rings 88 and 89.

A turbine having adjustable vanes so shaped, proportioned and mounted asto close the turbine entirely against the flow of water,

or to vtake any position of adjustment intermediate the closed positionand the fully opened position of the vanes, is disclosed in my copendingapplication Serial No. 216,514, iiled August 31, 1927. In that case,asin the presentcase, the surface of the hub and of the enclosing casingare spherical so that the small clearance between these surfaces and theends of the vanes remains constant regardless -of the adjustment of thelatter. The present invention is directed to a dilferent means foraccomplishing the said adjustment during the operation of the turbine.

0 eratiom-When'adiferent adjustment of t e vanes 67 isdesied the shaft61 -is rotated,"moving the nut 64 until the indicator 65 points to theposition on scale 66 y which 'corresponds to the adjustment of the vanesthat is desired. In the present case assume that the indicator is causedto travel from one position illustrated to a position opposite the point6 on the scale, that is from a substantiall full open position to oneabout open. he nut 64 1s thus traveling toward the right carries with itthe rod 67 and the contacts 68, 69 which engage thel contacts 78, 79 andmove them also to the right, compressing spring and causing rod 71 toslide in its bearing in the slide 59. As

soon as the contacts 68 and 69 engage with contacts 78 and 79, anelectric circuit is completed from the positive-line wire 82 throughcontacts 68 and 78, through conductor 86 to brush 87, ring 89 and wire93 to the motor 40 thence back through wire -92, ring 88,' brush 85 andconductor 84 to vIf a still further closing of the vanes is decontactsV79 and 69 and through conductor 83 to line wire 81. The motor isthereby driven in a direction which causes it to function through pinion42 land planet gears 43 t, to turn ring 46 and nut 47in a clockwise 3direction as viewed from above, whereby the rod 26 'is raised, alsoraising the links 30 and swinging cranks 31 to shift the vanes 33.toward closed position.

As the rod 26 moves upwardly, the pins 51, of course, move upwardly withit, sliding the ring 53 upwardly. Upward motion is thus transmitted tothe free end of the arm 55 of the bell crank, and thearm 57 thereofmoves toward the right, as viewed in Fig. 2, U0 thereby pushing theslide 59 toward the right. This movement of the slide at first merelyreduces the compression of spring 75, but presently the slide engagesthe head on the outer end of rod 71, and through thatrod and the crossbar 73 thereon pulls the contacts 78 and 79 away from the contacts 68and 69, thereby breaking the motor circuit and terminating the movementof the vanes. sired a similar movement of the nut 64- is brought about,so that the indicator 65 rests for example opposite the point 4 on thescale 66. -A similar`operation. of the motor is then produced causing asimilar following movement of the slide 59. l

An adjustment toward open position is produced by turning the shaft 61in the opposite direction, causing contacts 68 and 69 to push contacts76 and 77 to the left, whereim by an electric, circuit is completed fromline wire 80` through contacts 68 and 76, conductor 84, brush 85, ring88, Wire 92, motor 40, wire 93, ring 89, brush 87, conductor 86,contacts 77 and -69 and conductor 83 back to 105 negative line wire 81.The motor then turns in the opposite directionV and the rod 28 islowered, carrying with it ringV 53 and swinging'the bell crank lever 55,57 in a counterclockwise direction. This-'pulls on link 58 110 and movesslide 59 toward the left. The latter movement continues until the headon rod/70 is engaged and caused to pull the contacts 76 'and 77 awayfrom the contacts 68 and 69, when the motor circuit is broken 115 andthe movement of the 'adjusting inechanism terminated thereby. j

While in the disclosure herein the oper.;- tion of the threaded shaft.61 is manually effected, it will be understood that its automaticoperation as heretofore mentioned, may bereadily accomplished, but forthe sake of avoiding complications such automatiecontrol is not hereinVillustrated or described. l

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1

1. In a hydraulic turbine, a rotatingshaft, runner vanes carried therebyand adjustable.. upon their axes, an electric motor carriedby l" theshaft, operative connections between said motor and said vanes forturning the latter upon their axes, and means operable durin therotation of the shaft for starting sai motor in either direction andautomatically stopping the same upon the completion of a predeterminedchange in runner vane` adjustment.

2. In a hydraulic turbine, a rotating shaft, runner vanes carriedthereby and adjustable upon their axes, a motor fixed to the shaft abovethe runner, operative connections between said motor and said vanescomprising a threaded rod arranged parallel to the axis of said shaftand adapted to move longitudinally with respect thereto, and a nutmounted upon said threaded rod and connected with said motor forrotation thereby, said l nut being mounted against Vmovementlongitudinally of the shaft, and means for controlling the direction andextent of rotation of said motor.

3. In a hydraulic turbine, a rotating shaft, runner vanes cariredthereby and adjustable upon their axes, a motor carried by the shaftabove the runner, operative connections between said motor and saidvanes comprising va threaded rod arranged parallel to the axis of saidshaft and adapted to move longitudinally with respect thereto, a nutmounted upon said threaded rod, reduction gearing operatively connectingsaid motor and said nut, said nut being mounted against movementlongitudinally of the shaft, and means for controlling the direction andextent of rotation of said motor.

4. In a hydraulic turbine, a rotating shaft, runner vanes carriedthereby and adjustable upon their axes, a motor axially mounted in afixed position in'y said shaft, operative connections between said motorand said vanes comprising a threaded rod axially arranged in said s haftand adapted to move longitudi nally with respect thereto, a nut mountedupon said threaded rod, said nut being mounted against movementlongitudinally of the shaft, reduction gearing symmetrically arranged inthe shaft for operatively connecting vsaid motor and said nut, and meansfor controlling the direction and extent of rotation of said motor.

5. In a hydraulic turbine, a rotating shaft, runner vanes carriedthereby and adjustable upon their axes, an electric motor carried by theshaft, operative connections between said motor and said vanes forturning the vto latter upon their axes, a power circuit for said motorextending to a position outside the shaft, means outside the shaft for,perfecting said circuit with a flow of current in a given direction, andmechanical means movable with the said connections for interrupting theflow of current in said circuit when an adjustment of the vanes has beenaccomplished.

6. In a hydraulic turbine, a rotating shaft, runner vanes carriedthereby and adjustable upon their axes, an electricmotor carried by theshaft, operative connections between said motor and said vanes fortux-nin the latter upon their axes, a power circult for said motorextending to a position outside the shaft, an indicator outside theshaft movable to various positions corresponding to adjustments of therunner vanes, means associated with said indicator for perfecting said circuit with a flow of current in a given d1- rection, and means movablewith the said connections for interrupting the flow of current in saidcircuit when the vanes reach the position of adjustment corresponding tothe settin of said indicator.

lll a hydraulic turbine, a rotating shaft, runner vanes carried therebyand adjustable upon their axes, an electric motor carried by the shaft,operative connections between said motor and said vanes for turning thelatter upon their axes, a power circuit for said motor extending to aposition outside the shaft, an indicator outside the shaft movable tovarious positions corresponding to adjustments of the runner vanes, aswitch element for said circuit carried by said indicator, a slideoperatively connected with said vane moving` connections, a secondswitch element for said circuit carried by said slide, whereby themovement of the indicator in a given direction brings the said switchelements into contact to start the motor, and whereby the movement ofthe slide through the connections stated serves to break the contactbetween the switch elements when the desired adjustment has beenaccomplished. 4 8. In a hydraulic turbine, a rotating shaft, runnervanes carried thereby and adjustable upon their-axes, an electric motorcarried by the shaft, operative connections between said motor and saidvanes for turning t-he latter upony their axes, a gauge outside theshaft bearing indications of different runner vane adjustments, acontrol member adapted to be manually positioned at various points alongsaid gauge, and means set in motion by the movement of said controlmember for starting said motor and stopping the same after the vanesreach a position of adjustment corresponding to the setting of saidcontrol member.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

HARRY E. POPP.

